Wild and Free (The Three #3)(50)

“We are well aware your ward will be able to sense us and we didn’t want to have a retinue of vampires in Serpentine Bay causing him alarm. Callum, who commands the wolves, has agreed with this and is also here without any of his people.”

She nodded once and pressed, “No others?”

“I believe that the others discovered the hard way they were woefully unprepared to successfully complete their mission and they’ve retreated. Yuri, Lucien, Callum, and myself have moved extensively and frequently through Serpentine Bay since we arrived, including this morning, and we’ve sensed no others like us.”

“And what precisely is their mission?” she asked.

“I’m afraid, Mrs. Jin, that what I’m sure you already know is the truth. They wish to see an…” Gregor paused, then finished, “end to your ward and/or his mate.”

“Why?”

Gregor drew in breath through his nose and his tone gentled considerably when he replied, “It’s your ward’s right to know this, Mrs. Jin. I mean you no disrespect, but it’s also his right to share it with you once he knows it. Or not, as he wishes.”

“This is not going to happen that way,” Mrs. Jin returned. “It will be me who decides if I wish to share what’s happening with my…” She paused, as if struggling, before she said, “ward.”

“If you allow him up from his underground cell long enough to learn,” Yuri put in smoothly, the words said with no inflection, but they were still ugly.

“Yuri,” Gregor spoke quietly but sharply.

“I know your play, Father, but you know I don’t agree with it due to the fact that this woman keeps her vampire in a pit under a Dumpster, shameful and hidden away,” Yuri bit back.

Lucien tensed in preparation to take care of Yuri so he couldn’t f*ck this up, and he felt Callum do the same.

However, they both looked back to Mrs. Jin when they heard her soft laughter.

“Yes,” she said softly, mirth still in her expression. “My sons tease him often about his preference for space. Mostly my youngest. However, that is what my eldest son prefers.” Her gaze sharpened on Gregor. “And I’ll correct you, albeit belatedly. He is not my ward. He is my son.”

That morsel glided through the room and Lucien sensed both Leah’s and Sonia’s relief, not to mention Callum’s and his own.

“And as his mother,” Mrs. Jin continued, “it is my responsibility to keep him safe. Three nights ago, he was not safe. His mate was not safe. My sons rushed to their brother’s side to offer him aid, and they were not safe. I am an old woman. I cannot do that. But this, meeting with you in an effort to understand what has befallen him, I can do.”

“I understand, Mrs. Jin, and I will say it gives us great relief to hear your loyalty to one of our own,” Gregor replied. “However, we must encourage you to ask your son to come here so we can speak to him personally.”

“You don’t understand, Mr…” She shook her head, appearing unfamiliar with her sudden uncertainty, proving she was a woman who wasn’t often that way. “Gregor. My son is exceptionally protective of his family. He finds you a threat. I can only assume you’re aware of his abilities, and him having these, he feels, even as my other sons are highly skilled and very strong, he’s the only one who can protect us. He’s keeping us safe by not putting himself in harm’s way.”

Lucien studied her, noting she didn’t realize she’d given something away.

Her hybrid was not there, but she was, and they were far more a danger to her, a woman who could not defend herself, than to him, who had proven able to defend himself very well.

He didn’t know she was there.

But Lucien knew, when he found out, he would not be happy.

“We do understand, Mrs. Jin,” Callum put in quietly, cutting into Lucien’s thoughts. “We understand intrinsically. For that is wolf.”

“I’ll ask you to explain,” Mrs. Jin stated, and Lucien felt his stomach tighten.

She had no idea.

Which meant her son had no idea.

Lucien couldn’t imagine not understanding his nature. The idea was abhorrent.

The third of The Three didn’t. He’d lived however long his life was, and considering his maturation it had to be over a century, not knowing.

Fuck.

Callum had realized this too, thus he explained immediately, “The wolf is about his pack. All about his pack. There is nothing more important than their safety and nurture. The werewolf is the same. His”—he dipped his head to his mate—“or her family is all-important. I don’t know how long he’s had his mate, but I can imagine you’ve noticed that this instinct is significantly heightened when it comes to her. This is because she represents the second half to the whole of the family unit. Protection of her is vital. To put it simply, a male wolf lives for that. He will eat, drink, sleep. But he exists for his mate.”

She allowed her eyes to round with wonder for the barest of moments before she hid her reaction and said softly, “Thank you for that explanation.”

“I’ll be happy to share more with you, and your son, should he trust us enough to meet with us,” Callum replied.

“And I’ll be happy to share those traits he has that are vampiric,” Lucien added.